2000
#13,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Pusateri
An Italian occupational surname referring to a shopkeeper or seller of groceries and foodstuffs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,348 Americans carry the last name Pusateri. That puts it at #14,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 145,977 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pusateri surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 145,977
Census rank
#14,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,048 bearers of the surname Pusateri in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pusateri, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pusateri
The surname Pusateri is of Italian origin, originating in Sicily during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "pusat," meaning "well" or "water source." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a well or maintained a well in their village or town.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Pusateri can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Caltanissetta, located in central Sicily. The name appeared in various forms, such as Pusaterio and Pusatieri, reflecting the evolution of spelling patterns over time.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Giovanni Pusateri, born in Caltanissetta in 1275. He was a prominent landowner and played a role in the local governance of the town during the late 13th century.
In the 15th century, the Pusateri family gained prominence in the city of Palermo, where they were involved in the silk trade. Vincenzo Pusateri, born in 1421, was a successful merchant and established a thriving silk business that contributed to the economic prosperity of the region.
During the Renaissance period, the Pusateri name appeared in several literary works and historical records. One notable figure was Antonio Pusateri, a poet born in Messina in 1539, who wrote extensively about the beauty of Sicily and the rich cultural heritage of the island.
As the Pusateri family spread across Italy and beyond, the name also appeared in various place names. For example, the town of Pusaterro in the province of Caserta is believed to have been named after a member of the Pusateri family who settled there in the 16th century.
Other notable individuals with the surname Pusateri include:
1. Gaetano Pusateri (1785-1862), an Italian painter known for his religious works and portraits.
2. Salvatore Pusateri (1892-1963), a Sicilian-born American businessman and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the Italian community in New York City.
3. Maria Pusateri (1917-2002), an Italian actress who appeared in several films during the post-World War II era.
4. Giorgio Pusateri (born 1955), an Italian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009.
5. Alessandro Pusateri (born 1978), an Italian professional basketball player who has played for several teams in the Italian Basketball League.
The Pusateri surname continues to be prevalent in Italy, particularly in Sicily and other parts of southern Italy, reflecting its deep-rooted history and connection to the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pusateri
Among Census respondents with the surname Pusateri, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pusateri bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pusateri surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 1,917
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 77
- Two or more races1.8% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pusateri
Pusateri appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,117
-16 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 1,040 places
2020
#14,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,048
-69 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,144 | 2,133 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,184 | 2,117 | 0.72 | -16 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 1,040 places |
| 2020 | #14,076 | 2,048 | 0.69 | -69 bearers (-3.3%) | Up 108 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pusateri surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,184 | #14,076 | 0.8% |
| Count | 2,117 | 2,048 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.69 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pusateri bearers went from 2,117 to 2,048 (-3.3% change). The surname moved up 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,184 to #14,076.
FAQ
Pusateri surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pusateri?
Name Census estimates that about 2,348 living Americans carry the surname Pusateri. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 145,977 residents.
How common is Pusateri?
Pusateri ranks #14,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,048 people with the surname Pusateri. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,348), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pusateri.
Has Pusateri become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pusateri went from 2,117 recorded bearers to 2,048. That is a decrease of 69 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,184 to #14,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Pusateri?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pusateri, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pusateri in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (1,917 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pusateri appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pusateri (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pusateri mean?
An Italian occupational surname referring to a shopkeeper or seller of groceries and foodstuffs. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pusateri (0.69 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Pusateri?
Want to know how common the surname Pusateri is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.